Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Struffoli Italian Honey Balls are very small dough balls mixed with honey and sometimes decorated. They are crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside and perfect as a Christmas or Easter Holiday dessert.

Recipe by: A Tavola

Looking for more cookie recipes, try these Classic Shortbread Cookies.

struffoli
Print Pin

Struffoli

Struffoli are enjoyed at Christmas or Easter time. They are small balls of fried dough coated in honey... need we say more?

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 2 cups flour
  • zest of a lemon and orange
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp butter room temp
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Sauce:

  • 1 cup Honey
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  • In a large bowl place the flour, zest, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix together.
  • Using your hands work in the butter, pinching the dough into the flour. It will look like a corse sand or corn meal.
  • Add the eggs, wine, and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes
  • Cut the dough into 4 equal piece, roll it out into a log, cut each log into small pea size pieces.
  • Roll each piece for form a ball. Be aware that the balls with expand in the hot oil, so the smaller the better.
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan to 375 degrees. Gently lay a spoon full of the struffoli into the oil. The oil may boil up on you so be ready to remove the pan from the heat. Fry until they are golden brown about 2-3 min. Remove with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel lined plate and repeat until all the struffoli are cooked, let cool. Place struffoli in bowl.
  • Sauce: Combine the honey, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and pour over the fried struffoli, stirring to coat them.
  • Using a spoon or damp hands arrange the struffoli in a wreath. To form the wreath spray a can or jar with cooking spray and place it in the centre of your platter, arrange the struffoli around the jar. Remove the jar once the wreath begins to adhere together or “set”. Sprinkle with decorative sprinkle, toasted, nuts or icing sugar.